Is L.A.'s anti-gang program working?

By Rachel UrangaThe Daily Breeze

LOS ANGELES — A year after Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William Bratton declared gangs public enemy No.1, crime has plummeted, homicides are at 30-year lows, and for the first time cops are working with hard-core gang interventionists to quell rivalries.

"One year later, gang homicides are down 30 percent. That is an unequivocal measure of success," said Matt Szabo, spokesman for Villaraigosa, who now wants to place all the city's anti-gang programs under his office.